According to a 2017 review, muscle myopathy is common in alcohol use disorder. In addition, about 40 to 60 percent of people who experience chronic alcohol misuse also experience alcohol-related myopathy. This type of muscle condition is linked to a lifetime of drinking high amounts of alcohol. Over time, too much alcohol leads to tissue damage and deficiencies in B vitamins, iron, zinc, potassium, and vitamin D. This causes problems converting protein into muscle and repairing muscle.
Study characteristics
Talk to your healthcare provider about the best treatment plan to start on your road to recovery. However, it is known to be directly related to heavy and long-term alcohol consumption. Overconsumption of alcohol may directly harm and hinder the nerves’ ability to communicate information from one body area to another. Acute management of alcohol intoxication, delirium tremens, and withdrawal alcohol neuropathy stages is primarily supportive, to monitor and treat any cardiovascular or respiratory failure that may develop. In delirium tremens, fever and sweating may necessitate treatment of fluid loss and secondary low blood pressure. Agitation may be treated with benzodiazepines such as chlordiazepoxide, beta-adrenergic antagonists such as atenolol, or alpha 2-adrenergic agonists such as clonidine.
- Abstaining from alcohol can help restore your nutritional health, improve your symptoms, and prevent further nerve damage.
- Even with treatment, alcoholic peripheral neuropathy is not reversible.
- You may experience increased urination, sweating, and other means of bodily waste disposal when you drink alcohol.
- If you have severe symptoms, you may require inpatient or even intensive care level monitoring.
- The best way to avoid the issue is to limit alcoholic consumption to 2 or fewer drinks per day for males and 1 or fewer for females.
- The toxic effects of alcohol may damage your peripheral nerves, which play a role in movement and sensation.
Synthesis of results
When this message is interrupted due to damaged nerves, the muscles cannot function as they normally would. Alcoholic neuropathy is a condition in which the nerves become damaged as a result of years of heavy alcohol consumption. Symptoms include burning pain in the body, hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain), and allodynia (a condition in which normal stimulus, like a soft touch, produces pain). But if you have developed neuropathy as a result of alcohol use, it’s important to stop drinking as soon as possible. Professional and peer help through programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous or other substance abuse programs can help you reduce your alcohol consumption.
What causes alcohol withdrawal?
Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. The diagnostic process may involve neurological examination, blood tests, and electromyography. The most important thing you can do to treat alcohol-related neuropathy is to stop consuming alcohol. We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. If a person is concerned that they may have AUD, they can speak with a doctor.
Nine studies reported EMG findings in alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy patients. Reduced recruitment pattern of motor units was a frequently reported outcome [16, 28, 67, 70]. Active denervation (presence of positive waves and fibrillations) was also present in the majority of patients. The prevalence of denervation findings on EMG ranged from muscle to muscle, with the highest being in the muscles of the lower limbs suggesting a length-dependent pattern [35, 45, 52, 59]. Most patients with alcohol neuropathy initially present with symmetrical polyneuropathies in the lower distal extremities; however, heavier abuse can progress to distal upper extremity symptoms. The most common findings are sensory-related and vary, including pain, numbness, and paresthesias.
What is alcohol-related neurologic disease?
